8711-R2_MSA_May2024_Newsletter

The Maine Snowmobiler

56 th Anniversary Season Wrap Up

An Official Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association

2023-2024 MSA Snowmobiler of theYear Award Goes to Gene Bridges

Presented by Barry Ryan

I t is our great honor to announce the 2023-2024 MSA Snowmobiler of theYear was award to Gene Bridges. Gene is a true pioneer in the sport of snowmobiling and has been a mem ber of the Glenburn Lakeside Riders Snowmobile Club since its inception over 25 years. He has been a tire less advocate for Landowner rela tions and works endlessly to help maintain Glenburn’s trail system as well as club activities, functions and fundraising events. Like many years prior, long before the very first snowflake fell, Gene

was volunteering to be an integral part in the preparation of the trail system. As the rainy, soggy, wet summer weather continued into the fall, Gene had his equipment ready to go on a moment’s notice with his grandson, Tommy, at his side ready to pitch in and help. Whenever the (Continued on Page 2)

An Off-Season Special Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association May 2024 • Vol. 55 • No. 8 MSA, PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 www.mainesnowmobileassociation.com

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United we trail, divided we fail

(Continued from Cover) opportunity arose with the weather, Gene would get his own equipment loaded and be at the designated work site, ready to tackle the job at hand. thing is possible if you set your mind to it. Gene has also shown us the importance of giving back to the community with his unwav ering support to Glenburn Lake side Riders and the MSA. Congratulations Gene Bridges the 20203-2024 MSA Snowmobiler of theYear! Gene is a true champion, and an inspiration to all of us. He is a role model for all snowmobilers, always willing to lend a hand with a positive and enthusiastic atti tude. He has shown us that any

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MSA President Alan Swett Completes His Term

A lan Swett, the president of the Maine Snowmobile Associa tion 2022 – 2024, has completed his term. Al served as president for the past two years, during which time he oversaw a number of sig nificant changes to the association. Under Al’s leadership, the MSA has made major progress in pro moting the safe and responsible use of snowmobiles in Maine. He has worked with landowners and state agencies to maintain and improve snowmobile trails, and has provided educational programs and safety training for snowmobilers. Al also spent countless hours working within the MSA structure ensuring that the day-to-day operations as well as major fundraisers such as the Super Raffles and Maine Snow mobile shows were successful. Al worked to improve the MSA’s communication with members. He has attended countless club

events and became family to every club that he touched. Al has been a frequent speaker at snowmo bile events and has been featured in numerous publications and news interviews. He is a respected leader in the snowmobile commu nity and is known for his passion for the sport. Members have celebrated Al with the following sentiments. “Al has been the glue that kept it all together” Bob Corthell, “Your tire less efforts to elevate our sport in this state does not go unno ticed. Thank you so much!” Daran Noonan, “All around great person with an unmatched drive for what he believes in and loves doing.” Jeff Bourassa, “Al is a voice of the people, loyal and always gave more than 100%. Thank you for all of your time, energy and sup port over the last few years. Look back with pride and enjoy the ride my friend.” Beth Bowie, “We loved

our yearly visits and safety pre sentations from Al. He is a won derful snowmobiling advocate!” Medway Middle School. Over a hundred similar messages can be found on social media and this is a true testament to Al’s Presidency. In addition to his work as Presi dent, Al also represented the MSA on a number of committees and boards. He serves on the Land owner Sportsman’s Relation Advi sory Board, the MSA Steering and Funding Committees, and is the chairman of the MSA Safety Committee. The MSA is grateful for Al’s ser vice as president as he has been a tireless advocate for snowmo biling, the members the he repre sented and the landowners who so generously let us use their land. Al will continue to be a valu able asset and we look forward to his continued involvement in the Association.

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Photo of TheYear By Chris Letourneau

MSA Golf Scramble will be on July 13 th ANNUAL MSA GOLF SCRAMBLE

281 Billings Rd, Hermon, ME 04401 It’s time for the 8 th Annual MSA Golf Scramble! Join us July 13 th at Hermon Meadows Golf Club for a fun day of golf with all your snowmobile friends.The Open Scramble is $350 per team or $90 per golfer and Club Cup teams can compete against other clubs for $300 per team. Price includes cart, golf, sleeve of balls, lunch and golf swag. To “Top” it off, a hole in one this year wins you a 2024 Ski-doo Renegade Adrenaline 900 AceTurbo from ChaseToys in Unity. Get that team together and sign up early. For more information call (207) 622-6983 or visit mainesnowmobileassociation.com .

For Winter Fun,

Get a Hole

in One!

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From The Executive Board

faces will return for this year as well as some internal restructuring and with that a host of new ideas and programs that are being imple mented, as well as ideas for improvements to some newly instated programs. All of this to move the association forward and to optimisti cally set ourselves and the ones who move up behind us up for success. One of the very first things that I learned in business is that when you start a new endeavor that you surround yourself with a team of people that are like minded, people that have a nose for success and ones that love a chal lenge. Ones that know how to take care of business and get things done and lastly ones that you know every decision that they make will have the best interest of the company (in this case the association) at heart. Now my job as incoming president was an easy one in respect to this because by and large most all of “these” people were already in place, and the new faces that we all are going to see this year are ready to hit the ground running. I would like to take just a minute and rec ognize a few of these people that are stepping down after countless years of service to the association and also introduce the ones that This has been a challenging time for the MSA’s clubs. Heavy rain last June wiped out many trails and bridges then came the December storm that brought more record rainfall high winds uprooted trees and bridges washed away many feet from the locations. Deep holes up to 40 feet and over 200 feet long closed trails for the season in a few areas. Then came the paperwork and meetings with the Political folks. They all want to help tuition to Maine’s technical colleges, more financial aid available and enrollment num bers down slightly as some high school grads are taking gap years or going directly into the workforce. It gave us great pleasure to know that the MSA scholarship application numbers are actually higher than the few years and we had some wonderful candidates. The scholar ship committee proudly announced the two winners at the annual banquet. With some many deserving and talented applicants, it’s never easy but all seven of us on the scholarship committee take the pro cess very seriously. Eash year we make a few changes to the application to reflect the most accurate process for our applicants and we feel strongly that it is a fair and reasonable application. We would also like to thank the MSA office staff and especially Liz for organizing the applications, checking them for eligibility, tally our final scores and then sending out con gratulation letters to the two winners. The CD that we use (interest only) to fund the two scholarships will have it’s 5-year run expire this October 2024. We are very hope ful to find a better rate than the current one and hopefully the interest alone will fund the scholarships completely starting with the 2025 winners. Because we have increased the awards to $1,500 for this year, we will need more than just the interest to pay winners. If you or your club is interested, we would greatly appreciate any thoughts or donations to get us through this year without using the principle. The committee has ideas for possi ble fundraisers or club challenges and we are always open to any ideas someone might have to help. The MSA scholarship program has done some awesome work for members and families and hopefully it will continue to for years to come. Have a healthy and happy off-season. Harvey T he winter was a unique one indeed. Snow then lots of rain and destruction. The clubs went above and beyond getting the trails back to somewhere near normal in a shortened season. Many riders had to chase the snow and many diehards did just that logging in some great mileage while supporting the clubs and businesses.

From the President

Flagg for chairing our bylaws committee. I am very excited with all of our newly elected and appointed positions, as well as all of the people that will be returning, I can’t help but think that we have “The A-Team in place! The MSA is in good hands and I can’t wait to get started. I can’t tell you how humbled and honored I am to have the opportunity to serve all of you for the next two years. And I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t feeling a bit nervous and anxious but mostly excited. Never in a million years did I think that when I joined my first snowmobile club in 1990 that I would be about to start my journey as your MSA Pres ident. I would also be lying if I said that I wasn’t going to make mistakes. I have a long time friend and my boss back in the day when I started my career in the Auto Parts business who told me that “If you don’t make mistakes then you aren’t doing anything”. I remember thinking to myself; Jeez I must be really busy then! The one thing that I can pledge to you all is that I will always do my best and my deci sions will always be made for the good of the Association. Thank you, Mark and communication between clubs, inspectors, and the committee has been fantastic. We also started collaborating with the trail coordina tors working for Joe Higgin’s office. We hope to improve on this working relationship in the future. Despite a most challenging winter, we did manage to get most inspections completed. We also hosted five trail signage workshops in Augusta, East Machias, St Albans, Mad awaska, and Medway. These workshops have been very beneficial for improvements in both safety and navigation. These workshops will continue into the future and can be brought to a site near you--- just ask. The 23-24 season and my first cycle as Trail Chair is a wrap. I want to express my grati tude to outgoing MSA President, Al Swett, for his effort and dedication. I also look forward to working with our new President, Mark Chinnock. Keep the faith for an awesome 24-25 season but, in the meantime, enjoy your summer! Brent I’ve meant so many great people on this trail ride, as it comes to an end I want you all to know how much I value your friendship. We’ve made lifetime relationships, I’ve been to many towns and townships I did not knew existed, met people that talk with an accent funnier than mine and fell in love with you all! Good luck to you all, Thank you for all you do! AL Another short season of riding is done, Old man Winter & Mother Nature need to get on the same page before next season.... I am looking forward to next year; Welcome aboard Matt Baron the new MSA Coastal VP, Congratulations! Matt is a passionate snowmobiler and will give 100% to the position. I will be hanging around the MSA helping as I can. Most importantly I’ll be helping the new MSA secretary Betsy Watson Congrats to her as well. Many thanks to all the volunteers, MSA clubs, for making our state “The best in the East” Special thanks to all Land Owners for allowing us to use your land. See you on the trails my friends. Enjoy your Summer and always think Snow!!! Dave are a destination point for snowmobilers from all over the Country and Canada. We are ranked third from a major parts vendor from the Midwest only behind Upper Peninsula in Michigan and Togwotee Wyoming. In my book we’re best! Because of dedicated club members, supporting business’s and the incredible landowners! Thank you! H appy Spring/Summer!!!

are stepping in to fill these big shoes. First up Dave Watson our Coastal Region V.P. will be stepping aside after nearly 15 years of service with the MSA, and would like to welcome Matt Baron who has taken over the reins. Matt is a very conscientious and dedicated person and has already hit the ground running. Next up is Jack Lord who has been the Central Region V.P. for even longer than Dave and has been a valuable asset to the MSA. We would like to welcome Ron Nunes as Jack’s replacement. Ron has done amazing things with the Lex ington Highlander’s S.C. and without a doubt will do a great job for us. We have a shakeup in the Northern Region as Matt Steadman has stepped away as their Regional V.P. to further his MSA career as Executive Vice President. Matt is also very much a go-getter, conscien tious and smart, and I will enjoy working with him, he is a great addition to the team. Step ping up and filling those big shoes will be Nick Morrill from Caribou. Nick is young and ambi tious and brings a lot of new ideas to the table. I would also like to welcome aboard Betsy Watson, Betsy will be taking over the Secre tarial duties for Brad Barker, Gail Ryan for chairing the Hall of Fame committee and Bob A new bond called a Trails Bond passed the Legislature and Senate division at the Statehouse overwhelming. This is a great victory for our trail system. From bike riding to horseback riding, hiking cross country skiing snow shoeing and of course snowmobiling and ATVing this will give us a much needed shot in the arm to keep the trails up to date for years to come. It’s a $30 million bond that we will be voting on in November. Please get out and vote for this. It will be divided up over 4 years to each one of the trail divisions. The funding will be managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Snowmobiling generates over $700 million in direct and indirect spending per year. We and the meetings with them were positive. Hopefully the funds will get rolling soon.

Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

From the Executive VP

Mark Chinnock, Vice President 207-754-9874 544 Plains Road, Poland, ME 04274 napadude66@hotmail.com

H ello Everyone, Last month marked the end of one season and the beginning of another. With it brings exciting new beginnings and some fresh new faces will join our MSA snowmobiling fam ily this year. Lots of existing experienced

Scholarship Committee

Trails Committee Chair Report

Brent Spaulding, MSA Trails Chairman 207-944-7762 41 Madison Ave Brewer ME 04412 msatrailchair@gmail.com G reetings from Brewer, First of all, I would like to thank the entire trail committee for their efforts this season. We had some long tenure veterans and several newbies this year. Meetings have gone well

H ard to believe that by the time you read this we will have had our annual meet ing. Not really my place but wanted to send a special thank you to outgoing President Al Swett. Al has been wonderful ambassador for the sport we all enjoy and work so hard to sup port. Any event or meeting he has been invited to he attends and is always willing to engage and participate. Just today I was in a small, one-man mechanical repair shop and saw an MSA poster on the wall and the owner said Al had been in an given it to him in his apprecia tion for supporting the MSA. He also has been a champion for our scholarship program and willing to lend a hand or ear whenever needed. Thanks for all you do Al! The scholarship committee was very excited to have nine fully completed scholar ship applications to review and grade for this year’s contest. Many of us have heard that scholarship applications numbers are down in many areas. Several factors include free Harvey Chesley, 207-314-0637 25 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton ME 04927 harv.chesley@gmail.com

Coastal Region VP

David Watson 207-205-1558 412 Roberts Ridge Rd East Waterboro ME 04030 dwatson6841@gmail.com

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From The Executive Board

start with Super Raffle Sales! Forty-two clubs in this region sold tickets, sending $11,673 to MSA making the region the second high est selling in the state. Four clubs sold over $1000 in sales: Glenburn Lakeside Riders, Moosehead Riders, Wassookeag and Quad County. Three more clubs sold over $700 in tickets: Bowlin/Matagamon, Eastern Maine SC, and Pine Tree SC. So combined these seven clubs sold $7,275 in tickets! Now let’s talk memberships! There were five clubs in the top 15 in the state: North ern Timber Cruisers, Moosehead Riders, Blue Ridge Riders, East Branch Sno-Rovers and Penobscot SC with three more in the 16 through 30 clubs: Piscataquis Valley, Pine Tree, and Wassookeag. The combined mem berships from these eight clubs was 1,115! Great job for a low to no snow year! I want to thank the five regional directors that have been in touch with clubs in the region this year. Barry Ryan, Craig Lemieux, Gary Dowling, Paul Bolstridge and Larry Lafland. With 74 clubs in Piscataquis, Penob not have the most clubs, but we have heart & passion. Enjoy your off season, even though there will likely be snowmobile related thoughts and projects that occupy some of your time. I know each club has struggles and successes. I would love to hear about them both, help collect concerns to determine how the MSA & I can help or connect new or struggling clubs with ideas or people who can help them move forward. There are SO MANY new people in club positions and it can be overwhelming to determine how to best spend your volunteer hours. I am again challenging all clubs for the 2024-2025 season to join forces with their local warden to set up a trail side safety check and learning session. Madawaska was the only one to take me up on this last season. I envision a club setting up trailside, maybe doing a hot dog roast/membership drive, having club members and a warden (or two) there to interact with sledders. Talk with them about the importance of riding right, in control & sober. Inform them about the awesome privilege we have due to the generous PRIVATE landowners. Talk to them about how much time/effort & money the clubs and their volunteers spend all year long to make sure they can enjoy the trails. We (MSA, clubs, individuals & the Maine Warden Service) need to do more to make sure the riders understand our system, think about themselves and the others on the trails and all return home to their friends and families in the same condition they left. Please reach out to me, I want to make this happen and can help

scot, Hancock and Washington counties, this is the largest region geographically in the state and not one you can cover in a day. These regional directors fill in those areas and have a good relationship with the clubs near them. Thank you again to them. I also want to thank the MSA officers and regional VP’s that have been in place for the past two years or more. Regional VP’s David Watson and Jack Lord have stepped down. Also stepping down is Brad Barker who has been MSA secretary. Al Swett’s presidency comes to an end as well with Mark Chinnock moving up and Matt Stedman moving into Executive VP. There are many changes in place for the next season and beyond! With the summer break coming; enjoy the few months you may have off before we start this all over again everyone. Come August we are back at it and heading into another season. Thanks to EVERYONE STATEWIDE FOR MAKING THIS STATE A GREAT DESTI NATION POINT! Until the fall, Eileen your club get it setup. Check out the summer calendar of events in the County, there are some great club & motorsports events to attend. Check out our region in the spring/summer/fall season and support the organizations hosting the events as well as local businesses. Events such as Golf Tournaments, Mud Bowl, Spud Speedway auto racing & Grass Drags, Square Body rally, Big Woods Grass Drags are just a few of the events between now and snowfall to take part in. One last thing, Capitol Equipment grant deadline is June 15th. There is some homework to be done before submitting so print it off and ask questions to give your club the best chance. Northern Region MSA E-Board members for the 2024-2025 season will be: Nick Morrill – Caribou Snowmobile Club – Regional VP Jeff Brooks – Big Valley Sno Club (Island Falls) – Regional Director Denise Duperre – Madawaska Snowmobile Club – Regional Director Please reach out with questions and concerns so we can all help and work together. If you have interest in being an MSA director, contact one of us to ask what it entails. Enjoy your summer, if you have a question, problem, concern, or idea on snowmobiling in “The County” or Maine, get in touch with me. You can contact me at the phone # or email above. Matt Stedman Northern Region VP

tremendous storms we had with rain, rain and more rain along with high winds that caused so much destruction. Many clubs cleared the same trails four times this year and then didn’t get enough snow to groom. If all that wasn’t bad enough, April brought two heavy snowstorms with inches and some places feet of snow that clubs couldn’t do anything with because the ground was too wet and soft and grooming was not an option! Whatever we all did to make Mother Nature and Ole Man Win ter so upset with us, let’s try and get back on their good sides for next season!! I have been the Eastern Region VP for over 20 years, (I know a long, long time) and every year I say the same thing at this time but it is completely true: Eastern region clubs I am soooooo proud to represent you and see EVERYTHING you do each season to support MSA and promote snowmobiling in this state! April is when we as an organization rec ognize what has been done the past season. I want to do that in print for this region, so let’s snowmobile season and the remainder of the year. It was nice to see some folks still took their time off and came to their destination even if they couldn’t snowmobile as much as they normally do. It’s great to see that sort of community support from the snowmobilers who enjoy our state. The annual banquet was great, clubs and snowmobilers from all reaches of the State came out to recognize many award-winning individuals and groups who make up the awe inspiring Maine Snowmobile Association membership. Individuals and clubs that go all out to ensure snowmobiling in Maine continues to move forward. Aroostook County folks brought home some great awards: Groomer of the Year went to Gary Marquis, Landowner of the Year over 100 acres went to Irving Farms in Caribou, MSA membership awards for the year - 2nd place statewide Washburn Trail Runners, 6th place Portage Lakers, 8th place Madawaska SC, 10th place Caribou Snowmobile Club, 11th place Ft Kent Snow Riders SC, 12th place Red Arrow SC. Our (Northern Region) clubs average over 70 MSA primary members each, top in the State. Limestone Sno-Hawks were awarded club of the year. Last, but certainly not least, Dwight Flewelling from Easton was inducted into the MSA Hall of Fame. All the awards were well deserved and represent hours & years of dedication to the sport. Thank you to all Northern Region clubs for all that you do. Without each & every volunteer hour we could not accomplish the tasks at hand to enable the season to happen. We may W here to begin with a wrap up, I wish we could take the whole winter WRAP IT UP and send it back and start over. No snow, FLOODS, AND MORE FLOODS, we all know the story, millions of damages to property, trails etc. Never mind the damages to our local supporting business partners. Words cannot spell out the problems for our 23/24 season, so I won’t rant anymore. I hope that the annual meeting, Banquet and auction went well, due to recent surgery I was not able to attend, and I enjoy being there. So let’s look forward to a great summer, FEMA stepping up with $$$$$$$$$ to repair trails and a great 24/25 season. Wishing you all the best, GOD BLESS. Jerry Jack Lord Home: (207) 672-3915 / Cell: 207-717-7131 17 Dinsmore St. Bingham, ME. 04920 Email: jacklord5256@gmail.com H i Everyone, This will be the last letter from me in this position. It has been an honor to serve you. I will still be around just not in this office. I’m looking forward to retirement for a long time coming and I know I`m leaving things in great and capable hands. Going forward just be safe and keep smiling and I`ll see you on the trails. Jack Lord

Eastern Region VP

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com W ell, this sure wasn’t the season any of us hoped for! Snow conditions were not anywhere near what we normally have, state wide, but clubs did the best they could with what they did have. Throw into that all the

Northern Region VP

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text) PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com

T he winter of 2023 to 2024 never really got going. Here in the County we didn’t start grooming until after the new year came and most projects were wrapped up somewhere around school vacation. Even though the snow may not have met our expectations I’m sure most people were able to make some sort of special winter memory be it on a trail day or time spent with family and friends. Not every winter can be snow filled and riding every weekend. We know winters like this impact not only the ability to ride, but also income streams for state programs where we get our funding as well as income for local small businesses which we all enjoy throughout the

Western Region VP

ATTENTION CLUBS

• Capital Equipment Grants must be submitted to DACF by June 15, 2024. Please contact Joe Higgins with any questions. • If your club would like to enter the drawing to sell Super Raffle tickets at the Maine Snow mobile Show please visit mainesnowmobile association.com/msa-forms • Please submit your officer update forms for the 2024/2025 season as soon as possible. This will help ensure communication with the correct club officers. • If you have a Park and Ride please visit maines nowmobileassociation.com/msa-forms and fill out a quick form. This will allow us to list your area in the Maine Guide. • Please feel free to reach out to anyone on the EBoard or the MSA Office if we can assist you in any way. We are here for you!

Jerry Major, Cell: 207-838-0892 137 Morrill Rd, Norway ME 04268 mrfun101jem@gmail.com

Central Region VP

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2024 - 2025 MSA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & STAFF CONTACT INFO

OFFICERS: President

Mark Chinnock, PO Box 66, Mechanic Falls, ME 04256 207-754-9874 napadude66@hotmail.com Matt Stedman, PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 207-557-1921 stedman.matt@jdirving.com Lori Hemmerdinger, 544 Plains Rd, Poland ME 04274 207-890-5455 lhemmerdinger@gmail.com Barry Ryan, 207 Lancaster Brook Rd, Glenburn ME 04401 207-945-6809 skidoo6000ber@gmail.com Betsy Watson, 412 Roberts Ridge Rd, East Waterboro ME 04030 Cell: 207-205-1559 watson.betsy29@gmail.com Eileen Lafland, PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 207-843-7813 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com Ron Nunes, 260 Last Round Up Rd, LexingtonTWP, ME 04961 401-527-5370 Thelastroundup2018@gmail.com Nick Morrill, 406 Main Street, Stockholm ME 04783 207-554-0074 landscaper9791@gmail.com Matthew Baron, 92 Emery Corner Rd, Limerick, ME 04048

Executive VP

Treasurer

Assistant Treasurer

Secretary

Eastern VP

Central VP

Northern VP

Coastal VP

207-608-3737 msacoastalregion@gmail.com Jerry Major, 137 Morrill Rd, Norway ME 04268 Cell: 207-838-0892 mrfun101jem@gmail.com

Western VP

REGIONAL DIRECTORS: Eastern Region Paul Bolstridge, 29 McKenzie Ave, Lincoln ME 04457 207-290-1564 tpguide@hotmail.com Larry Lafland, PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 207-944-0054 llafland@midmaine.com Gary Dowling, PO Box 235, East Machias ME 04630 207-255-8902 coastalautorepair@myfairpoint.net Craig Lemieux, 55 Harlow Pond Rd, Guilford ME 04443 207-232-0294 cplemieux@hwpuritan.com Barry Ryan, 207 Lancaster Brook Rd, Glenburn, ME 04401 207-945-6809 skidoo6000ber@gmail.com Charlie Huntington, 78 Lynes Rd, Newcastle, ME 04553 (207)563-5824 badgoat@tidewater.net Northern Region: Jeff Brooks, PO Box 96, Island Falls ME 04747 207-752-1027 jeffbrooks@markerman.com Denise Duperre, 195 Dufour Rd, Madawaska ME 04756 207-316-9118 advertising04756@gmail.com Western Region: Paul Gallant, 18 Drift Rd, Fryeburg ME 04037 207-935-2878 paulyg71@hotmail.com Paul Kennedy, 58 Bray Hill Rd, Phillips, ME 04966 pkennedy1@aol.com Coastal Region: Steven Bennett, PO Box 32, Parsonfield ME 04047 207-303-7076 sfd720@gmail.com Central Region David Cogley, 113 Woods Rd, West Gardiner ME 04345 207-724-7041 davcog@aol.com Alan Dugas, 77Woodland Drive,Yarmouth ME 04096 207-232-9577 alan@royalriverboat.com Christopher K. Ring, 159 Main St., Newport, ME 04953 207-368-6234 cring@ringlawmaine.org

MSA STAFF: Office Manager: Elizabeth (Liz) Mahaleris, PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 Phone: 207-622-6983 Email: office@mesnow.com

Web: www.mainesnowmobileassociation.com , Facebook: MaineSnowmobileAssociation

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MSA Supporting Business of the Year Awarded to Brooks Equipment Eileen Lafland

has done with plans to expand it making room for more trailers. The business supports the local club in many ways as well and can be found on the trails, at club functions, attending club cookouts or what ever needs to be done. The business has been in operation for 34 years with the last three years in a new location but still delivering the same high quality and respected service they have been known for. Jeff has been a club and MSA member for many years. Jeff is also very active in MSA and is a Northern Regional Director for MSA. Congratulations to Jeff Brooks and all the employees of Brooks Equipment Service and Sales as this years MSA Supporting Business of the year.

T his year’s MSA Business of the Year award goes to Brooks Equipment. A business that supports its community, the local snowmobile club, and snowmobilers in the area and beyond. The owner of the business Jeff Brooks makes sure all snowmobilers who come to the area enjoy their stay and can complete their riding experiences, even if they need repairs. He has sleds they lend to customers so they can continue riding while their sled is being worked on. If someone breaks down, Jeff has been known to retrieve the sled and rider at all hours of the night. The Brooks Equipment works on snowmobile trails, fixes snowmobiles, carries snowmobile parts along with all other equipment repairs. While

the winter months seem to be the busiest this business is busy all year round and people have come to depend on it for their repairs. Brooks Equipment is in the small town of Island Falls with the snowmobile trail running right next to it, making it a great place for a park and ride which is what Jeff

Mountain Grooming the 2023-2024 Manufacturer of the Year Presented by Matt Stedman

around the State of Maine. They have a proven track record with great customer service and dedication making multiple trips around the state to check on their customer every season as well as in the off season. Mountain Grooming and owner Doug

Wilson also joins multiple clubs every year and can always be found at MSA’s Snowmobile Show in Augusta. Please join us in congratulating Mountain Grooming and Doug Wilson this year’s Manufacturer of the year.

M ountain Grooming based in Waitsfield, VT has been award Manufacturer of the Year. Mountain Grooming provides a host of equipment including Tucker SnoCat, PistenBully, Bombardier (Ski-Doo) and LMC and currently have over a dozen machines grooming trails

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Katahdin Forest Management LLC Named the 2023 – 2024 Polaris Landowner of the Year - Presented by East Branch Sno-Rovers

trails open when they are cutting wood. They have been known to move a harvesting operation to accommodate the club’s snowmobile trails. Many of these trails lead to businesses within the local communities that benefit economically from snowmobilers using this trail system. When large bridges need to be established or replaced, Katahdin Forest Management assists with much of the paperwork issues with DEP and/or LUPC for the club’s benefit. This year when they had significant bridge damage due to the December ice and windstorm, Katahdin Forest Management reacted very quickly to look at the damage and approve all the work that needed to be done on their land. When they have issues on their land, because of misuse by snowmobilers, they reach out to the club first for remediation before going to law enforcement because they know that they can normally work together to resolve trails. Irving Farms has allowed the department two years ago to build a permanent 4-season trail on their property. Now this was no small task building a new trail through a cedar swamp, along an intermittent stream and a hardwood tree farm.The trail that needed to be cleared was 3,245 feet in length.The Irving’s allowed the club to cut whatever needed to be cut and they also gave us permission to haul all the stored rocks that they had picked from their fields and dumped alongside the wood lines. Approximately 10,000 yards worth of rocks were hauled in to build this trail, leaving a cleaned-out area for the Irving’s to dump more rocks· in the future. They could have said no and keep the trail out on the crop grounds, but they realize that motorized recreation is big

K atahdin Forest Management, LLC have been a crucial landowner for the East Branch Sno-Rovers and AVT Club since their inception back in 1972 and over 50% of their 110+ mile trail system is on their land. Over the years Katahdin Forest and the club have built an incredible working relationship. The East Branch clubhouse in Medway sits on 127 acres of land, which was donated to the club by Katahdin Forest Management. This allows the club to keep this area open for public use. Over the years they have gone above and beyond to assist the club. Some examples are donations of bridge planking, steel beams for bridges, logs, culverts and firewood to heat the clubhouse. In addition to this they share their plowed roads with the snowmobile trails and work with the club to keep the

problems. We cannot say enough about how fortunate the East Branch Sno-Rovers are to have a large landowner being so accommodating to their club and trail system and to always work with them in any way they can. The dedication that Katahdin Forest Management has for not only for recreation but also for the local community is insurmountable and for this, we are incredibly grateful. Congratulations to Katahdin Forest Management LLC the 2023 – 2024 Polaris Landowner of theYear.

Irving Farms Receives BRP Landowner of the Year Award Present by Gary Marquis

business and they understood that there was no other way to get a permanent trail out on the South end of town. This family farm understands how important recreational trails are to the County and also to the State. It is landowners like this that make the State of Maine the place to ride. Congratulations to Irving Farms the 2023 – 2024 BRP Landowner of theYear Award.

T he Irving’s have a highly successful potato and trucking business here in Caribou. They are a multi-generational farm and over the past 35 years have allowed the Caribou Parks and Recreation department access to their property for snowmobile trails.The location of the property used is absolutely key for access to 3 businesses out on the Southern end of the trail system, and soon there will be a 4th motorsports business located in this area. The Caribou Parks and Recreation department is not only involved in snowmobile trail maintenance but also with ATV

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2023 – 2024 Snowmobile Club of the Year Awarded to the Limestone Snowhawks Presented by by Gary Marquis

what the true attraction turned out to be the historic Arch Hanger. People from all over the Northeast talk about hanger. This club not only has one attraction, but they have two the other being the ever so popular BroderTrail. The club has increased their traffic tremendously because of these two scenic attractions, with that they have stepped up grooming to every night with a new Prinoth Groomer, they also pay special attention to their signage making it their trails easily navigated by folks new to the area. They are a small club that knows how to get it done! Congratulations to the Limestone Snowhawks the 2023 2024 MSA Snowmobile Club.

Left to right Gary Marquis, Jason Levesque,Trail Master, Russell Levesque andTim Busse

T he Limestone Snowhawks was awarded the snowmobile club of the year for the 2023-2024 snowmo bile season. This club while not being the biggest in the State does certainly have a lot of heart and tenacity when it comes to maintaining their system. It was only about 5 years ago that the club got some new blood and what a difference they have made to what was once a system that received a lot

of complaints to one of the systems that gets high praises by many in the County and of course snowmobilers from all over. When the Snowhawks President dis cussed putting a trail on the historic runway of Loring Air Force Base, no one realized what this was going to do in terms of traffic. Thoughts were that it would be fun go down the trail on the 2 mile stretch of the runway but

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President’s Award Presented to Alan Dugas Present by Al Swett

Alan Dugas has been awarded the 2023-2024 President’s Award. Year after year Alan continues to show his passion for Maine Snowmobiling by going above and beyond for the sport. Although Alan lives approximately 150 miles away from his club and has been a long time member of the Jackman Border Riders. He spends countless hours preparing/maintain trails, building bridges, fundraising

and working at club events. Al’s com munication skills especially with land owners are to be commended as pos itive outcomes are allows reached. A soft spoken, humble man Alan Dugas is the go to guy in has region and is truly a person that can and will move mountains for our sport and community. Congratulations to Alan Dugas.

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Cooper Snowman Awarded the 2024 Youth Snowmobiler of the Year Present by Chris Ring

I n our great sport, it’s clear that we are very blessed to have so many hard working and dedicated volun teers that make it all possible. But another thing is apparent too when you look around at many of our clubs’ meetings and work days, none of us are getting any younger! That’s one of the reasons why I think this particu lar award is so important… We should all take every opportunity to welcome newcomers, young and old, to our club’s ranks, and recognize excep tional efforts whenever we can. New members, particularly young ones, are the future of our clubs and the MSA.

Cooper Snowman, from clearing brush to even training new groom ing operators, has proven himself to be a valuable asset and a true leader within the club. His commitment to safety and responsible riding prac tices sets a commendable example for his peers and contributes to fos tering a culture of stewardship within his local snowmobiling community. Moreover, Cooper’s innovative contributions to club promotion, including a successful social media campaign, known as “Cooper’s Cor ner”, highlight his forward-thinking approach and adaptability. His efforts have not only benefited the St. Albans

Sno-Devils but have also helped to promote and grow the snowmobiling community in our region. In recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions, it is my honor to present, 16-year-old, Coo per Snowman with the ‘Youth Snow mobiler of the Year’ award from the Maine Snowmobile Association. Let us applaud Cooper for his dedication, leadership, and passion for snowmo biling, and hopefully his example will inspire other young enthusiasts to actively contribute to the well-being and growth of snowmobiling clubs throughout our beautiful state.

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Port & Company ® Core Blend Tee $21.95

Port & Company ® Fleece Hooded Sweatshirt $21.95

Eddie Bauer ® 1/2-Zip Fleece $51.95

Eddie Bauer ® Women’s 1/2-Zip Fleece $53.95

Port & Company ® Youth Hooded Fleece Sweatshirt $34.95

Port & Company ® Full-Zip Hooded Sweatshirt $21.95

Port & Company ® Fleece Sweatshirt $31.95

District ® Women’s Long Sleeve Hoodie $30.95

District ® Long Sleeve Tee $51.95

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Eddie Bauer ® Microfleece Jacket $51.95

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2024 “Barnie Robichaud” Groomer of the Year Awarded to Gary Marquis - Presented by Brent Spaulding

flat white ribbon, the area is exem plary of a great product for snow mobile enthusiasts. As we all know, this doesn’t happen by accident or by magic. There is a dedicated, passion ate individual behind it. In this case, for over two decades, Gary Marquis has been striving to accommodate landowners, busi nesses, and snowmobilers alike. He is always aware of landowner require ments and concerns and is keenly aware of his options for any reroutes. He has been an advocate for creating sled access to local businesses and is always working to produce a safe and enjoyable experience for all snowmo bilers. Gary can be seen many nights out in the groomer and coordinates the rest of the crew in his absence. According to the City Manager, his daytime job as Superintendent of Parks and Recreation along with his diligence and dedication to snow mobiling has made Caribou a better place to live, work, and play. It is my distinct pleasure to congrat ulate Gary Marquis as the MSA 2024 Barnie Robichaud Groomer of the Year.

L ast summer we lost an icon in our sport. Vernon” Barnie” Robi chaud was passionate about our sport and could be seen out groom ing for the Mattawamkeag Road Runners even at 100 Years old. There was a discussion and a vote after his passing that the MSA Groomer of the Year should be renamed. And so this year’s winner will be the first recipi ent of the Barnie Robichaud Groomer of theYear award. If you’ve ever ridden in the County, you’ve experienced the awesome trails of the Caribou system. As the Plourde and Plourde GM states.” When we ask customers about their ride, they always say the grooming in Caribou is the best”. From well marked corridors through potato fields, to informative signage at inter sections and, of course the wide and

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Mountainside Powersports Awarded 2023-24 MSA Dealer of the Year Presented by Mark Chinnock

At that time the brands that they sold were Ski-doo, CF Moto, and Ariens. Fast forward to today they have added Kayo, Kawasaki, Edge trailers and their latest acquisition Can Am recreational products.

M ountainside Powersports in Wilton is a family business owned and operated by Dan Daigle and his son Joey. The dealership formally known as Frechette’s Ski-doo owned and operated by Scott Frechette was purchased by Dan in August of 2020 and opened with two employees. Shortly after the opening Joey came on board to help his dad run the business. As of today Mountainside Powersports employs 16 full time and 3 part time employees and look forward to continuing growth in the future. Dan and Joey strive to be involved in their community and have been tremendous supporters of the MSA working with BRP in securing Ski-doo snowmobiles for the Super Raffle as well as contributing prizes for our silent auctions. Congratulations to Mountainside Powersports the 2023-24 MSA Dealer of theYear

Scholarship Awards

T he Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the MSA Scholarship. Kayden Patten of Hermon. Kayden is a member of the Penobscot Snowmobile Club

and will be continuing his education at Eastern Maine Community College. Noah James Ouellette of Presque Isle is a member of the Aroostook River Snowmobile

Club and will be continuing his education at Northern Maine Community College. Both recipients will receive a $1,500.00 Scholarship

Kayden Patten

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Membership Awards Reported by: Eileen Lafland

H ere is the wrap up for 2023-24 year. Considering the lack of snow state wide this year, MSA memberships still came and clubs did a wonderful job getting people to join. MSA expanded the awards to clubs this year with the top 15 receiving a plaque and clubs 16 through 30 receiving a certificate with the deadline being March 31, 2024 for contest. Congratulations to all this year’s

recipients.The top 15 are as follows in numerical order: Rangeley Lakes SC is once again the number one club.

Top 30 MSA Clubs 2023/2024 Season

Club Name

Town(s) Rangeley Washburn Millinocket Greenville Rockwood Portage Lake

Members

Club Name

Town(s)

Members

#1 Rangeley Lakes SC #2 Washburn Trail Runners #3 Northern Timber Cruisers #4 Moosehead RidersSC

541 303 220 197 186 170 161 158 154 146 134 131 123 121 120 119

#17 Rockabema Snow Rangers Patten

115 112 111 109 109 106 102 101

#18 Poodunck SC

Dixfield

#19 Slippery Sliders SC #20 Turner Ridge Riders

Roxbury, Byron

Turner

#5 Blue Ridge Riders #6 Portage Lakers SC

#21 Wire Bridge Sno-Travelers New Portland

#22 Big Valley Sno-Club #23 Benedicta Snowgang SC #24 Linneus Sno-Sports

Island Falls Benedicta

#7 Border Riders Sportsman’s Club Jackman

#8 Madawaska SC

Madawaska

Linneus

#9 Pleasant Mountain SC Inc Bridgton

#25 Presque Isle

Presque Isle

99 97

#10 Caribou SC

Caribou Fort Kent St Agatha Windham

#26 Smoki-Haulers SC #27 Piscataquis Valley SC

Oakfield

#11 Fort Kent Snoriders, Inc.

Dover-Foxcroft 95 #28 Lexington Highlanders SC Lexington, Highland, Concord, 92 Pleasant Ridge #29 Pine Tree SC Milford 88 #30 Wassookeag SC Dexter 88

#12 Red Arrow SC

#13 Windham Drifters SC #14 East Branch Sno-Rovers

Medway, East Millinocket

#15 Penobscot SC

Hermon

#16 Fryeburg Area Snowmobile Ass. Fryeburg

The end of season totals for each region as of April 22, 2024 are as follows: Region Total Clubs Members Western Region 62 clubs 2,948 Eastern Region 74 clubs 2,884 Northern Region 35 clubs 2,530 Central region 57 clubs 1,985 Coastal region 57 clubs 1,276 Total Family Memberships 9,379 Total business memberships 2,256 With total memberships at 11,635 We had 257 of the state’s 285 clubs send in memberships this year. Last year we ended the season with a total membership of 12,311 so we are only 600+ memberships off this year. GREAT JOB TO ALL THE CLUBS this season. Enjoy your summer break, and comeback in August ready to start it all over again!! Club packets with all your membership info will be ready by September.

Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club Awarded 2024 MSA #1 Club Presented by Alan Swett F or the 5 th year straight Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club has been awarded MSA #1 Club, with a membership of 541. A true destination in the State, Rangeley has over 140 miles of trail always groomed to perfection. Each year this club brings thousands of riders into their region not only with their trails but with events like Snodeo and the Saddleback Hill Climb. This club has become instrumental in the win ter economy in their region. They are a true testament that hard work pays off.Congratulations to The Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club the 2023 MSA # 1 Club!

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